Automobile directional signal



July 27, 1954 PUTTERMAN 2,684,601

AUTOMOBILE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL Filed Feb. 26, 1953 IN V EN TOR. HEM/AmPUTTERMAN BY Zulu M /777'ORNE7 Patented July 27, 1954 AUTOMOBILEDIRECTIONAL SIGNAL Benjamin Putter-man, Norwalk,

to Yankee Conn, assignor Metal Products Gorp., Norwa-lk,

Conn., a corporation of New York Application February 26, 1953, SerialNo. 339,147

1 12 Claims.

This invention relates to self-cancelling automobile directional signalcontrols, and more particularly to that type of directional signalcontrol Wi'llCl'l is designed to be affixed by the consumer to a carafter delivery from the manufacturer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improvedself-cancelling mechanism for a directional signal control of thecharacter described.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism of thecharacter described ch is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism of thecharacter described ch is smooth and foolproof in its operation. Otherobjects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part will bepointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the device hereinafter described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a steering wheel to the steering column of whichthere is attached a directional signal control embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of 2;and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an element of the self-cancellingmechanism.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral itdenotes a directional signal control constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Said control includes a casing [2 having an upperhalf M and a lower half [6. The casing is attached to the steeringcolumn [8 by an L-shaped bracket 20 which includes a lateral arm 22adjustably secured to the lower casing half in a manner hereinafterdescribed in detail. The bracket also includes a downwardly extendingleg 24 detachably secured to the steering column by a flexible clinchband 28.

The end of the casing remote from the steering column will be referredto as the front of the control; the other end will be referred to asnear its rear to provide a pair of pi a short distance below the top ofsaid -aif. A notch 32 at the front end of the top edge of the lowercasing half accommodates the arm 28 in its various positions. Internalshoulders 34 integral with the casing near the front and on each sidethereof are level with the platforms 30 and have tapped cores therein.Each platform has a clear hole therethrongh.

A switch mounting plate 36 is seated on t shoulders and platforms. Saidplate has open ings registered with the holes and bores the platformsand shoulders respectively. The openings in registry with the holes inthe plat forms are threaded to receive bolts from beneath. The openingsin the registry with the bores in the shoulders are clear to pass boltsscrewed into said bores.

The bracket arm 22 held between. the of the bolts 38 and the elevatedundersurface oi the lower casing half, said arm having slots therein topass the shanks of the bolts 352 so that the distance between thecontrol and the steering column may be adjusted. The actuating arm isintegral at its rear end i ;i and perpendicular to a flange projectingdownwardly from the front edge of a pivot plate 3 3. Said flange swingsin a recess provided in the front edge of the switch mounting plate.

The pivot plate is rotatably secured near its front to a pivot pin itcarried by the switch plate and a transverse slot is formed near thefront of the switch mounting plate, a conventional electric switch 52being disposed below the slot on the undersurface of the switch plate.

The electric switch is actuated from the pivot plate by a structurewhich is conventional and well known in the art.

A pilot light 5 1 fits in a socket 53 held by clamp 58 which is disposedon top of a resilient bridge 65 detachably attached to the switchmounting plate. Said light is connected by a wire 52 to the switch forenergization when the switch is actuated and the proper signal is inoperation. In the embodiment shown, the wire 62 passes through thehollow center of the pivot pin 48. The wires from the electric switch tothe main circuit pass through a suitable opening in the lower casinghalf.

Pursuant to the instant invention, novel and improved means is providedfor automatically holding the switch 52 in operative position after ithas been so disposed by movement of the arm 28 and for automaticallycancelling said switch, 1. e. returning the same to neutral position,when the wheels of the automobile are turned in a direction opposite tothat for which the signal is indicating a turn. Said means comprises anupright support t having feet 63 secured, as by bolts H3, to the switchmounting plate near the rear of said plate. The support includes anupwardly and rearwardly slanting reach l2 on which a wheel is isrotatably journalled on the spindle 89. The wheel is provided with anelastic tire E6.

The sliding journal is effected by mounting the hub is of the frictionwheel on the spindle 86 so that the hub it will turn when the frictionwheel E i is turned. The tire 76 of the wheel l lis in frictionalcontact with the hub H of the steering wheel so that a turn of thesteering wheel will drive and turn the friction wheel l t and the hub72.

The resilient cantilevered interrupted gear member is provided tocontrol the cancelling mechanism. The gear member 92 comprises a headpart 93, a body part 95, a resilient portion 95, and the base part 91.The head part 93 consists of the interruption m2 flanked by theoperative gear portions m4 and 565. The head is curved around a radiusof the pivot 58. The base part has two legs 9 which are adapted to besecured to the pivot plate by screws 93 so that the body and head of thegear member 92 and the actuating arm 23 are on opposite sides of thepivot :28 and so that the gear member Q2 is adapted to turn around thepivot 43. The body part 95 consists of two upright legs Hill which areparallel to the friction wheel M. The base part E3? and the body part $5are substantially parallel to each other.

The resilient portion as is interposed between the body part 95 and thebase part Q7 and is substantially at right angles thereto. The body part85 and the base part 91 extend in opposite directions from each end ofthe resilient portion 98 at right angles thereto. The resilient portionis biased upwardly toward the hub E8 of the friction wheel "ill so as toprovide an endwise engagement between a groove in the hub '53 and thetop operative portion of the head part 93 of the gear member 532.

The upper housing is retained to the lower housing in any conventionalmanner as by screws passing through the former and fitting into tappedopenings in the bridge 62?.

The device operates as follows: The position of the bracket is is soadjusted by the screws 38 with relation to the rear of the casing thatthe tire will be in frictional contact with the hub of the steeringwheel.

The hub '58 of the friction wheel it normally lies in the interruptionI62 of the head part 93 so that any slight turn of the steering wheelwill turn the fric ion wheel i l and the hub 18 but will not affect thehead part 93 of the gear member 92. However, when a right turn is to bemade, the arm 28 is turned upwardly. This moves the interruption m2 outfrom under the groove of the hub 18. The upper operative portion 104abuts the groove of the hub '58 and the hub '58 being stationary and theoperative portion Hit being at a level higher than the interruption M2,the resilient portion 98 of the gear member 92 will be flexed ordepressed downwardly and carry the body part Q5 with it. This allows theoperative portion m l to be in frictional contact with the hub l8 andthe electric circuit to be closed thus operating the signals. Thesteering wheel is now turned to make a right turn and this turns thefriction wheel i i counterclockwise and assures that the operativeportion ills of the gear member t2 will be held under the hub is. Whenthe steering wheel is turned back to straighten the automobile, thefriction wheel 14 will be turned clockwise and this will turn theoperative portion Hi4 downwardly in a clockwise direction and will placethe interruption 52 under the hub ill and will break the electriccircuit, thereby stopping the signals. The upwardly biased resilientportion 98 will be free to spring upwardly and assume normal position.When a left turn is to be made, the arm 28 is pressed down and the hub'38 rides on the lower operative portion I95. The parts thereafteroperate as shown above.

I claim:

1. In a self-cancelling automobile directional signal control adapted tobe disposed on the st ering gear of an automobile and actuating armhaving an inopera' e a d an operative position, a spindle, a frictionwheel mounted on said spindle, said friction wheel being in frictionalcontact with the steering wheel be driven thereby, a hub mounted on saidspindle and movable with te friction wheel, an interrupted gear memberecured on actuating arm, said interrupted gear rr iber being comprisedof a resilient portion to as gear member toward the hub of the frictionwheel to provide an endwise engagement between the hub of the frictionwheel and the member, the interruption in the gear nerncer normallyaccommodating the hub of the friction wheel, said gear member beingmovable by said actuating arm from normal position to operativeposition, the operative portion of the gear member being in abutmentwith the hub when the gear member is in operative position, said gearmemher being flexed downwardly when in operative position, saidoperative portion of t e gear men her being driven by said hub when inoperative position and being movable by said hub from operative toinoperative position.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bias action of the gearmember is in a plane parallel to the friction wheel.

3. A device as set forth claim 2, wherein said gear member has a headpart having an inter uption therein said interruption being flanked bytwo uninterrupted operative surfaces.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said head part is carriedby a body part, said body being parallel to the friction wheel.

5. In a self-concelling automobile directional signal control adapted tobe disposed on the steering gear of an automobile and including anactuating arm having an inoperative and an operative position, aspindle, a friction wheel mounted on said spindle, said friction wheelbeing in frictional contact with the steering wheel to be driventhereby, a hub mounted on said spindle and movable with the frictionwheel, a gear member secured on said actuating arm, said gear memberbeing comprised of a head part, a body part to carry said head part, abase part to carry said body part, and a resilient portion to bias saidhead part toward the hub of said friction wheel to provide an endwiseengagement between the hub and the head part, said head part beingcomprised of an interruption and two uninterrupted operative surfacesflanking said interruption, the interruption in the head part normallyaccommodating the hub of the friction wheel, said gear member beingmovable by said actuating arm from normal position to operativeposition, the operative surface of the head part being in abutment withthe hub when the gear member is in operative position, said gear memberbeing flexed downwardly when in operative position, said operativesurface of the head part being driven by said hub when in operativeposition and being movable by said hub from operative to normalposition.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said resilient portion isinterposed between the body part and the base part of the gear member.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said body part and saidbase part are integral with said resilient portion and extend inopposite directions therefrom.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said resilient portion issubstantially perpendicular to said body part and said base part.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said body part and saidbase part are parallel to each other.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said body comprises twolegs tapered outwardly toward the base part and defining a spacetherebetween.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said base comprises twolegs.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said actuating arm andsaid gear member are on a common pivot and wherein said head part isuniformly curved along a radius of said pivot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 20Number Name Date 2,596,440 Sampson May 13, 1952 2,604,560 Dibelka July22, 1952

